-Frayed Tempers-

-Elven Hope-

By the time Admir had reached Thranduil's room, the argument had gotten a whole lot worse despite the fact that Aradwyn was trying to keep his younger brothers' calm. Rogir had managed to pull Legolas off the bed and Aradwyn had to force his two brothers' apart. The verbal attacks were a lot harder to counter unless he somehow managed to stuff cotton wool in both of their ears, but he neither had the time nor the patience to go and search for some. He also had no intention of leaving his brothers' alone.

Aradwyn didn't think that this fight was really fair on Legolas, seeing as Rogir seemed to be better at arguing verbally as well as physically. It seemed to be because of the way Legolas was treading lightly around the argument like he didn't want to anger his brother too much, but at the same time wanted to fight back. Aradwyn wondered what Rogir could possibly have over Legolas that he didn't know about. He didn't have much time to ponder this, however, as a blow connected with his left cheek making him step backwards in surprise.

Rogir broke free then and rushed at Legolas who tried to hide behind his elder brother. Rogir darted forwards and grabbed Legolas' hair again. By this time Aradwyn had come to his senses and grabbed Rogir's wrist, which was holding Legolas by the hair, squeezing tightly.

"Let go Rogir," Aradwyn ordered.

"Make me," Rogir hissed, tightening his hold and making the youngest elf cry out.

Aradwyn was at the point where he was literally thinking about throttling his brother when he had a better idea. He moved his free hand up to Rogir's pointed ear - one of the most sensitive places on an elf's body - and squeezed it forcefully digging his fingernail in. Rogir growled and grabbed his brother's wrist which was holding his arm digging his fingernails in as hard as he could, whilst tightening his hold on Legolas' hair. Legolas cried out, Rogir yelled as Aradwyn squeezed Rogir's ear harder and shouted at his brother to let go.

And this was, of course by fates perfect timing, the point at which Thranduil walked in on them. Thranduil would have expected this from them when they were younger, Rogir and Aradwyn had always fought like young boys do, not badly, but there had been the occasional scuffle. The age distance with Legolas had made it a bit harder for him to 'play' with them, but they had managed to include him easily enough. But both Aradwyn and Rogir were far too old now and Legolas was getting to the age where fights should be seldom. Thranduil realized, however, that his youngest son seemed to be on the receiving end of all this seeing as he was not attacking anyone, but simply trying to free himself of Rogir's grip.

"What in the name of Arda are you doing!" The elven king yelled and all of his sons' froze. Aradwyn was the first to let go, followed by Rogir. Normally Legolas would have gone to his father but instead he hid behind Aradwyn. Legolas and Aradwyn separated themselves from Rogir giving Thranduil a good guest at who the antagonist had been. It did, however, take two to argue - or three in this case. "What do you think you are doing?" Thranduil asked his voice calmer this time.

"Ada..." Aradwyn began, but Rogir cut him off.

"Legolas kicked me," Rogir said quickly. "He started it."

"What?" Legolas asked incredulously. "That's not true Rogir."

Thranduil turned to Aradwyn, but the older elf shrugged. "I only saw Legolas kick Rogir, Admir called for me so I came in."

"And where is Admir?" Thranduil asked looking around; he could have sworn that she had followed him.

"Right here, my lord," Admir said from in the hall walking into the room and standing a little way away from Thranduil.

"Can you tell me which of my son's started this 'disagreement'?" He asked her trying to keep the ire from his voice.

Admir looked from Rogir to Legolas, she had heard what the dark haired elf had said and knew that it was untrue, and she still hated Rogir for everything he had done, but even then a small part of her was telling her to say it had been Legolas. She pushed the thought aside and answered quickly before she let herself make the wrong decision.

"Rogir," she answered. "He was pulling Legolas' hair."

Thranduil turned his hard gaze on Rogir who seemed to flounder for a second before returning to his calm and cool manner. "So, as well as attacking your brother, you lied to me?"

"It was still Legolas' fault," Rogir said icily. "I only pulled his hair because he was lying."

"I was not," Legolas said crossly. "You're the liar Rogir!"

"Look, it does not matter who started it," Thranduil decided before Rogir could retaliate. "All three of you were involved in this," Aradwyn opened his mouth to speak, but Thranduil simply raised an eyebrow in warning and he shut his mouth again. "Therefore all three of you will be punished. I think two weeks worth of mucking out the stables will do it. Everyday, as soon as Rogir is feeling better, I want you down there understood. I daresay it will give Elrond's people a much needed break. Now Rogir you get back into bed, and I will talk to you about that later." Rogir breezed out of the room quickly all the time glaring at his father and brothers'.

Both Legolas and Aradwyn were glowering at Thranduil when he turned back to them and the elven king supposed that they had a right to. "I will see you all later at dinner." He said promptly and left the room.

Aradwyn went to sit down on the bed, followed by Legolas and the older elf sighed. He always managed to get stuck in the middle of something, either his brothers' fighting, or Thranduil's lessons for Rogir. It wasn't fair, he was sick of having to always get in trouble for something he didn't do. Legolas was angry with Rogir for saying that he was lying, but at the same time he wondered why Rogir had said it.

Admir watched both elves carefully, and then tried to brighten up the mood. "So," she grinned. "Anyone want to play chess?"

Later in the afternoon all of the younger elves, save Rogir, were crowded round a chess match between Elladan and Elrohir. It was a rather slow game seeing as both of them seemed to be able to judge the other's move before it actually happened. This did prove to be rather interesting, until they were both left with a king each and had to declare a draw.

No one, much to Aradwyn's relief, had said or asked anything to do with alcohol and he wondered whether maybe, finally, the whole thing would blow over.

Much to his relief it did, but only a day later, things got bad again. He was out on the archery fields in the morning, whilst Legolas was still asleep and couldn't bother him about how brilliant he was at archery even though he was a good seven years younger than his brother. Aradwyn didn't mind it all that much; it was just so annoying when Legolas started telling him how to hold the bow!

There were plenty of elves already awake and out on the training fields, but none that he knew well. Aradwyn nocked an arrow drew back the bow string, aimed and fired. He missed the target by a large amount though as something over the other side of the field caught his attention.

Rogir dropped down from the tree he had been sitting in deciding that it was too dangerous to stay on the archery field whilst his brother was there, and also wanting to be away from everyone, now that the field was beginning to fill up with elves.

"Hello, prince, feeling better now? Last time I saw you, you were tied to a tree in the middle of the forest, pity you and the filthy half bloods managed to escape."

Rogir's heart sunk and he continued to walk on hoping that Thelion and his rabble would just leave him alone.

Thelion, however, had other ideas and grabbed his arm. "Are you not going to be more polite? I thought as a prince you were supposed to know your manners. If I were you I would watch them."

"And if I were you I would take a flying leap off the Misty Mountains and do the whole of Arda a favor," Rogir shot back pulling his arm out of Thelion's grasp.

Thelion grabbed the younger elf by the front of the tunic holding him up so that they were inches apart and Rogir had to stand on tip toes. "You are walking on thin ice prince, I care nothing for your title as I have already proven, if you aren't more polite around me and my friends then I might have to teach you a lesson you'll never forget."

"Go on then," Rogir spat. "Do your worst, I dare you."

Thelion hesitated uncertain of what to do, he liked to see fear and he liked it when people fought him even though it was futile, Rogir was doing neither of these things, however, in fact the other elf remained surprisingly calm.

"Oh so you're not so big and tough after all?" Rogir asked pulling himself out of Thelion's grasp. "Then would you please let me be on my way?"

"You think you're so clever and so smart, but your not," Thelion sneered. "Because you can't even see what's right in front of your nose. Haven't you noticed how everyone in your family act around you, how much everyone hates you."

"Shut up."

"It's true though, nobody likes you, everyone hides it well, but really they talk about you behind your back."

"Shut up!"

"Even you're brothers and father, and you're supposed friends, everyone knows who you are and no one wants to be associated with someone like you!"

"No!"

Rogir jumped on the other elf his welled up anger giving him the advantage and Thelion cried out in surprise as he slammed into the ground. Rogir smashed the other elf's head back into the hard dirt leaving the older elf confused and disorientated as blows rained down on him from left and right and all he could do to help himself was raise his hands above his head and try and throw the younger elf off him.

The other elves looked on in confusion and worry, not knowing what to do. Rogir had a very short temper and was quite vicious when he was cross; in fact to those standing by it didn't look like he would stop until the other elf was dead.

Luckily for Thelion, Aradwyn pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed his brother's raised fist before he could strike Thelion again, dragging him off the other elf.

"What in Arda do you think you're doing!" Aradwyn yelled at him sounding far too much like hi father.

Rogir just glared at him darkly licking blood away from his lower lip, Rogir may have been the one winning the fight, but he had most certainly not come out of it unscathed. "Let go of me!" Rogir tried to rush forwards again, but Aradwyn grabbed him and shoved him back, putting himself between Rogir and Thelion.

"What were you doing!" Aradwyn shouted pushing Rogir back, harder than he had intended, as Rogir tried to get around him.

Rogir growled low in his throat and surged forwards as he saw Thelion being helped up and anger washed over him again. After what Thelion had done, to Admir, to him, to all of them; Rogir would not stop until he was certain Thelion had learnt his lesson. Aradwyn, however, had other ideas and grabbed his brother yet again trying to throw him off.

Rogir spun around and without and warning struck his brother across the face the force of the blow sending Aradwyn reeling backwards, but still holding onto his brother's arm. Rogir stood stunned for a minute, no one there had expected something like this to happen and neither had either of the princes. The dark haired elf's anger gave him the advantage over his brother at the moment and blinded by rage, he struck the older elf again across the face, the force of the blow splitting his lip under the pressure.

Aradwyn looked at the younger elf rage flaring through him and with out warning drew back his fist and punched Rogir hard across the side of the head. Rogir fell backwards and then didn't get up again. Aradwyn stared down at his clenched fist in horror. He hadn't hit him that hard had he? He hadn't meant to do something like that.

Before he could move forwards to see if his brother was alright one of the older soldiers, who had seen the commotion from across the training field, grabbed him from behind and held him still.

"I wouldn't expect this from you," Randomir - the lieutenant of Imaldris' patrols said looking down at the Crown Prince with disdain. He moved over to Rogir and rolled him over - for he had fallen face down - and Aradwyn gasped looking away at the nasty gash across his brother's left eyebrow and the bruise spreading down the side of his face and across his eye.

"Is... is he alright?" Aradwyn asked trying desperately to free himself from the elf that held him still.

"I think a healer should look at him," Randomir said, he looked up at the elf holding Aradwyn. "Can you take him to his father and explain what has happened Leif? I am going to take Prince Rogir to the healing rooms."

"Sorry," Thelion said weakly to Aradwyn as he was dragged past.

"You have done enough," Aradwyn hissed and Leif jerked his shoulder sideways so that he had to turn away from Thelion.

As Aradwyn was turned away from the other elves and back up towards the last homely house, he saw something that made his stomach churn. Only a little way away, both the twins and his brother stood, Elladan was holding onto Legolas tightly to stop him from running over, but the fear was clear in his younger brother's face. Aradwyn shook his head looking down at the ground so that the hair fell into his eyes and hid his face. Now he was really in for it.

There is a lot of fighting in this chapter because I wrote one half of it like a week before the second half so I forgot that they had already had a fight. So um yeah basically I got the last bit from a bit of Malcom in the Middle and a bit of Coronation Street, or was it Eastenders, I can never tell the pair of them apart.

Anyway sorry for the late update, hope you enjoy this. Please review.

ElvenHope